Raj crouched down to watch her for a while, unable to tear his gaze away.
'So adorable! How could such a cute child grow up to become that eye-searing old woman?'
Just then, he noticed Anko secretly eating dumplings.
'That's right, I'm the culprit! Stop! You can't eat sweets!'
Raj wanted to shout, but he restrained himself, silently approaching Anko.
Anko sat in the back row, a convenient spot for her to sneak snacks.
This also made things easier for Raj.
Crouching behind her, it waited for the perfect moment before leaping up, spearing a dumpling with its bamboo skewer, and swallowing it whole.
It landed swiftly and darted away.
Anko turned her head to see the little black cat already ten paces away.
Unless she charged after it, there was no way to catch it.
But she couldn't let it go.
She only had a few dumplings, and it had stolen one!
After searching around and hesitating for a long moment, she picked up another dumpling and threw it like a shuriken.
The dumpling flew with surprising speed.
But to the cat's eyes, it moved as slow as molasses.
Raj disdainfully extended its paw and slapped the dumpling to the ground with a thwack.
Then, with a quick flick of its tongue, it swallowed the dumpling whole.
To be honest, it didn't taste like much.
But seeing the little girl's eyes well up with tears filled Raj with immense satisfaction.
The thrill of teasing a little girl was pure feline ecstasy.
"Waaah~"
A loud wail echoed through the classroom.
Students turned their heads, and Teacher Shiranui asked what was wrong.
Sobbing, Anko cried.
"The cat... the cat stole two of my dumplings! And..."
The others were puzzled.
'What's the big deal? It's just two dumplings!'
But a student near the back door turned to see the cat licking its paw, wearing a smug expression.
Yes.
The cat seemed genuinely smug, even mocking Anko.
To be mocked by a cat...
Well, that was indeed quite embarrassing.
"Stop staring at the cat, Anko. And stop eating in class! Next time I catch you, you'll stand for the entire lesson."
Teacher Shiranui seized on the "main point" without hesitation.
The tears Anko had managed to suppress immediately welled up again.
'Why did I throw the dumpling at it? Why did I admit I was eating dumplings?'
Amidst the classroom's chaotic atmosphere, Raj rose and left, leaving behind only his aloof silhouette.
Thanks to Anko's crying fit, Raj earned 400 Points this time.
And that wasn't all.
As time passed, his Points continued to slowly increase.
He felt that if he did just one more small task, he could finally complete the difficult mission requiring 1,000 Points.
This progress came at a cost.
To quickly accumulate Points, he had antagonized Asuma and Anko.
With class about to end, it was best to avoid the school for a while.
'I'll go for a stroll first.'
Raj mused.
But seeing that it was still early, he returned to Obito's classroom and then deliberately circled around to the back entrance where Asuma was.
Asuma was furious.
This cat was infuriating, constantly provoking him.
Was it here to repeat its tricks?
He resolved to teach the mangy cat a lesson and show it who was boss.
To that end, Asuma used the Ninjutsu techniques Clone Technique and Transformation Technique.
After a series of hand seals, a ferocious-looking dog materialized and lunged at Raj.
It looked incredibly realistic.
But all Raj could think was...
'This is an illusion. What are you trying to hide?'
Under mocking gazes, Raj fearlessly swatted the "big dog" illusion into nothingness with a single paw.
Asuma froze, stunned.
He had never seen a cat so intelligent, capable of distinguishing between a phantom clone and a real entity.
"Idiot Asuma! Cats can smell whether something's real or not," Hana Inuzuka teased, then playfully nudged her Ninja Dog.
The dog, a trained combat canine, glared at the cat outside the door like a hunter eyeing its prey.
Asuma and his team were no match for Raj, but this Ninja Dog could easily overwhelm him.
Sensing danger, Raj swiftly fled.
"See? It's so clever," Hana remarked.
She refrained from releasing her beloved dog, admiring Raj's intelligence, agility, and mischievous nature.
It was a pity the Inuzuka clan didn't raise cats; with proper training, this one could become an exceptional Ninja Beast.
"This..."
Asuma's face flushed slightly, clearly realizing how foolish his actions had been.
Worse, the commotion had once again drawn Kurenai's attention.
"Asuma, first you claimed it scratched your back, and now you're using Ninjutsu against an ordinary cat? How could Konoha harbor someone so petty!"
Kurenai's favorability towards Asuma decreased by 10 points.
Asuma stared blankly, retreating into his usual sullen silence.
Outside the school grounds, Raj stopped when he realized the
Ninja Dog wasn't pursuing him.
He opened his system panel to check his points.
Another "prank" point had been added to his account.
'Praise Asuma!'
His total points now stood at 1048, enough to exchange for a Transformation Pill.
Before doing so, however, he needed to find a safe, secluded spot to avoid being disturbed during the transformation.
He found a quiet alley.
A few seconds later, he exchanged his points for the Transformation Pill, carefully cradled it in his paws, and licked it into his mouth.
It smelled fragrant but tasted bland.
Almost immediately, he felt a surge of power awakening within him.
This wasn't ordinary Chakra; it was reshaping his body, gradually adapting it to produce Chakra.
Simultaneously, his physical strength increased significantly.
No wonder this thing cost a thousand points.
"Meow~"
Still unable to speak.
But that didn't matter.
The cat ninjas who spied for the Uchiha could talk fluently.
With the System at his disposal, how could he possibly fail to master a mere human language?
'Time to test my abilities.'
Raj began experimenting with his various abilities and bodily functions.
After a period of testing, he discovered significant improvements in his physical attributes, such as strength and speed.
Most importantly, he could now independently extract Chakra.
This was the essence of a Ninja Beast.
Although Raj currently lacked the ability to cast Ninjutsu, this wasn't a major concern.
With enough Points, the Shop could fulfill any need.
Take, for example, the Needle Jizo.
It only required 3,000 Points.
This wasn't a particularly high price, considering the much simpler Great Fireball Technique also cost 3,000 Points.
This suggested that the Shop's Ninjutsu exchange rates weren't based on complexity.
As a cat covered in fur, the Needle Jizo was undoubtedly the most suitable technique for him.
He observed further that all the cheaper Ninjutsu in the list emphasized simplicity.
It made sense.
A cat only had four paws.
No matter how agile, it couldn't perform a Water Dragon Bullet.
Want to use those high-difficulty Ninjutsu?
No problem.
Just pay more Points, and the System would simplify them to the point where they could be executed with a mere clap of two paws.
Naturally, the price would increase accordingly.
Which meant...
Raj eagerly searched for another Ninjutsu: the Rasengan.
This ninjutsu was a Handseal-less Technique, requiring no hand seals at all, and should be relatively easy for a cat to master.
Before long, he found the Rasengan in the 5,000-point category.
'Thank you, Minato! Thank you, Jiraiya! Alright, let's set a small goal: first, I'll get my paws on these two ninjutsu.'
Raj leaped excitedly up and down the wall.
Suddenly, a dog barked from below.